Welcome

Welcome to our school website. We're a Catholic co-educational school located in scenic Ballyadams, Co. Laois. We are very much rooted in the community and we're grateful to the support we receive from the parish community as a whole. We're a busy school and we take great pride in all the curricular and extra-curricular activities we provide to the pupils in Ballyadams. Please take your time to browse through our website and we very much welcome ideas and suggestions as to how we can improve it.Remember you can also follow us on twitter @ballyadamsns

Our Green Schools motto is 'Show your worth, be good to the earth'.

Our School Motto​Níneart go cur le chéileWe are stronger together

New School Year 2019/20

We hope all our pupils and families enjoyed a wonderful Summer. We look forward to welcoming back all our pupils next Thursday 29th August.

​1st - 6th Classes will begin their day at 9.20am.

We are especially excited to welcome our new Junior Infant class to Ballyadams. Junior Infants will begin their school day at 9.30am and finish at 12pm Thursday, Friday and the following week.

Best wishes and every blessing to all our school community for a productive and satisfying upcoming year in Ballyadams N.S.

June 2019 Newsletter

StampedeDrummingWorkshopOn Friday 8th February St.Joseph's N.S Ballyadams welcomed guest music tutors Eddie & Ollie from Music Generation to our school. The children took great delight partaking in the 'Stampede Drumming Workshop' on the day. Classes from 3rd - 6th took part in a series of body percussion & samba drumming activities whilst sampling a range of instruments. The theme of the visit was 'Playing the Samba at the Rio Carnival'. Well done to all our budding musicians and thanks to Music Generation for making the day possible. See photos of the visit featured in the Photo Gallery section of our website.

FriendshipWeek

Our school participated in celebrating welcoming and friendship with Amnesty Ireland from the 29th of April to the 3rd of May. Each class participated in various activities to build friendships such as co-operative games and friendship art. We also had a ‘Kindness Commitee’ with each class represented and they helped in the fundraising for Amnesty International by selling wristbands to the pupils in the school. On Thursday we were very lucky to have two special visitors. Maeve Flynn, a horticulturist with Laois County Council came and gave the children an insight into her work and each class then planted their own sapling tree. We also had another very special visitor in Kathleen O’ Connor. The children shared friendship stories with Kathleen and told her all about our ‘Buddy Benches’. The children really enjoyed the week. See Photo Gallery for photographs from the week.

Aldi I.R.FU Schools Play Rugby Sticker Collection

​Help us reach our target of 300 stickers to earn prizes for our school! Many thanks for your support.www.aldi.ie/playrugby for more details

Grandparents Day 30/01/2019

On Wednesday last the children were very excited to welcome their grandparents to school. Our senior classes were given an excellent insight into the experiences their grandparents had whilst in school, and the junior classes engaged in activities such as storytelling, board games and card games. It was an extremely enjoyable day for all. We can't wait for next year already!! For photographs of the day see the album in the Photo Gallery section above.

Christmas Carol Service This year our Christmas Carol Service will take place in St.Joseph's Church Ballyadams Tuesday the 18th of December at 7.30pm.

Santa Dash!Our 'Santa Dash' fun run/walk will take place Wednesday the 19th of December. All families are invited to attend. Details of the Santa Dash starting times and all Christmas Week events are in the December newsletter which you can download from the website at your convenience.

Christmas Raffle​Our Christmas Raffle will take place Wednesday the 19th December. Please support the raffle and contact Pamela in the office for extra tickets! It promises to be a great occasion and we appreciate your generous support.

26/06/2018Book ListsThe 2018/2019 Book Lists are now available to download on the website. Please go to the Parents' page to view.​

21/06/20185th and 6th Class School Tour - Baysports, Athlone

21/06/2018​2nd, 3rd and 4th Class School Tour - Fort Lucan

18/06/2018Active FlagWe got to raise our Active Flag today in Ballyadams. After all the hard work and effort that has gone in to achieving this flag, it was wonderful to see our school community gathered together to celebrate. Thank you to our brilliant committee, who were superbly guided by our Active School Co-Ordinator, Ms. Walsh. We were lucky to have Laois Senior footballer Colm Begley with us to raise our flag. The children were decked out in their Laois colours to wish Colm and his teammates the best of luck in Sunday's Leinster Final. Please check out the Laois Today website for a report and more photos. There will be more photos in next week's Leinster Express.

22/05/2018Hurling Final Hard luck to our gallant hurlers who were defeated after extra-time in the Roinn 3 Final last Wednesday. Trailing at half time, the boys played brilliantly in the 2nd half and were leading with moments to go. Unfortunately, a strong Heath side managed to level the game with the last puck of the game, thus ensuring extra-time had to be played. At the end of a pulsating game, we ended up on the losing side by a margin of just two points. Parents, teachers, pupils and supporters were extremely proud of our team's efforts. Pictured below is our team pre-match and our goalkeeper, Reese, receiving the man of the match award after the game.

23/04/2018School Calendar 2018/2019Reopening - Thursday August 30th ​October Mid-Term - October 29th to November 2nd Christmas Holidays - Close December 21st and reopen January 7th​February Mid-Term - February 18th to 22nd (full week)​St. Patrick's Bank Holiday - March 18th ​Easter Holidays - Close on April 12th and reopen on April 29th May Bank Holiday Monday ​June Bank Holiday - Monday June 3rd and Tuesday June 4th ​Summer Holidays - Close on Friday June 28th

19/04/2018Well done Noah!​3rd Class pupil Noah Meredith last week wrote to Laois County Council to state his displeasure at the sight of so much rubbish and waste discarded on the side of the road. In response, Laois County Council invited Noah to Áras an Chontae to help launch 'Clean Up Laois Week'. He was also given a clean-up pack to help him get started in Ballyadams. Noah invites any other pupils or parents to help him clean up our locality next week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week, you are invited to meet at the Church Car Park at 3pm to help Noah. Please wear a high vis vest if you have one. The link to Noah's letter is below,https://www.laois.ie/letter-from-noah-9-yrs-of-age-to-clean-up-laois/

17/04/2018Active School CommitteeMs Walsh and the Active School Committee have been very busy in recent weeks and months as we continue to work towards our Active Flag. Remember that we have Active Week all next week (April 23rd - 27th). We invite you to have a look at our Active School webpage on the website.

13/04/2018Friendship WeekWe had Friendship Week in school this week. We hope that every pupil in Ballyadams NS now understands how important it is to be nice to each other. We understand that we can’t be close friends or best friends with everyone, but we should always try to include others, be friendly and most importantly, treat each other with respect. Well done to all the pupils and teachers for taking part. Below are some pictures from our whole school assembly today.

09/02/2018Debating - 5th and 6th ClassMr Fitzgerald's 5th and 6th Class travelled over to St. Colman's N.S., Stradbally to debate 7 motions with the host school in a non-competitive format. The boys and girls performed brilliantly on the day and all their preparation paid off. Maith sibh! Thank you to our two adjudicators; Cllr Padraig Fleming and Sean Dempsey.

21/12/2017Santa DashOur Active School Committee organised a 3.3km 'Santa Dash' in aid of St. Vincent de Paul today. Each child completed the full route and a great time was had by all. Thank you to all the parents that came along to help steward and support the event. Pictured below are the first three pupils to complete the run; Eoin, Jack and Timmy. Maith sibh! There are more photos on the Active School Page.

01/12/2017December NewsletterOur December Newsletter is now available for download.

01/11/2017Halloween 2017We had a great day in the school last Friday as our annual Fancy Dress Halloween Walk took place. The homemade costumes on display were superb. Thank you to the Parents' Council for helping to decorate the school, organise the walk and provide treats for the children afterwards. A great day was had by all! There are pictures of the day in the Photo Gallery section of the website. Please click on the link below to view.

01/11/2017Football Final - October 26th 2017Our boys' A Football team qualified for the Roinn 2 final on Thursday last against St. Colman's N.S., Stradbally. The game was played in front of a big crowd in the county grounds, O'Moore Park. To a man, they were fantastic and they played their hearts out on the day. However, it wasn't to be and we were defeated by the smallest of margins; one point. The final score was Ballyadams NS 0:07 St. Colman's N.S. 2:02. We were the smallest school competing at this level and to come so close to winning is a huge achievement. Well done boys and we're very proud of you. Please click on the link below to read the match report from Laois Today.

04/10/2017Active Treasure HuntOur Active Schools Committee organised a super active treasure hunt for the whole school on Friday last, September 29th to celebrate National Active Day. There are photographs of the day on our Active Schools page. Well done to Ms Walsh, Ms Rowan and all our committee members. Keep up the good work and let's stay active!

20/09/2017PE and Tracksuit DaysPupils are asked to wear their school tracksuits on the following days;Ms Walsh's - Monday to FridayMr Mullooly's - Monday, Thursday and FridayMs Rowan's - Tuesday and FridayMs Kirwan's - Tuesday and ThursdayMr Fitzgerald - Tuesday and Thursday

These days are subject to change. At different times of the year, the children will be doing various activities i.e. football, rugby, swimming etc.

22/06/2017Book Lists Book lists for the 2017/2018 school year are now uploaded to the Parents' section of the website.

16/06/2017Write A BookMrs Murray's 5th Class and Mrs Burke's 1st Class English groups entered the Write A Book competition this year. Each child had to write their very own book. 5th Class pupil Aisling Redmond and 1st Class pupil Sophie Rainey both received merit awards after their books were chosen by independent adjudicators. The girls received their award at a presentation ceremony in the Midland Park Hotel last night. Well done girls.

16/06/2017Junior Infants, Senior Infants and 1st Class School TourJunior Infants, Senior Infants and 1st Class had a great day out at Nore Valley Park yesterday on their school tour. There are a number of photographs on the photo gallery section of the website.

17/05/20172017/2018 School CalendarThe 2017/2018 School Calendar is now available in the Parent section of our website.

15/05/2017First Holy Communion Congratulations to all our 2nd Class pupils who received their First Holy Communion on Saturday. We hope they had a lovely day. Thank you to the parents, Fr Dunne and Mr Mullooly for helping to prepare the children for the big day. We'd also like to acknowledge our wonderful choir for their lovely singing on the day and thank Ms Walsh and Ms Holden for preparing them.

10/03/2017St. Abban's QuizWell done to our 6th Class pupils Amy, Caoimhe, Katie and Patrick who were 2nd place in the St. Abban's Quiz last night.

21/02/2017Parents' Council MeetingA meeting of the Parents' Council will take place on Monday February 27th at 8:30pm in the school. Please visit the Parents' Council page to view the agenda.

17/02/2017NPC Parents' Survey The National Parents Council Primary has been invited by the Minister for Education and Skills to submit the views of the organisation on “the Role of denominational religions in the school admissions process and possible approaches for making changes” to same.In advance of making this submission we are consulting parents via this survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RoleOfReligioninSchoolAdmissions

20/01/2017RDS Primary Science Fair4th Class and 5th Class had a wonderful day out at the RDS Primary Science Fair in Mary Immaculate College Limerick yesterday. They saw and participated in lots of fun science activities. The judges were very impressed with their project, 'Why Don't I Fall Out When The Roller Coaster Loops The Loop?' Thank you to Mrs Murray in particular for facilitating the project and ensuring the children got to enjoy such a wonderful experience. Please go to our photo gallery section on the website to see some pictures from the day.

18/01/2017Parent Well-Being, Self-Care and MindfulnessLaois Education Centre are running a three week course free of charge on the above topic. It is starting next week and booking is essential. Please see the document attached for details.

09/01/2017Webwise Internet Safety SurveyDear Parent, In every aspect of development, from learning to cross the road, ride a bike or swim, we teach, guide and support our children. It should be no different when it comes to their online lives. Please take the time to complete this short survey about your children’s use of the internet so that we can best support you to have a positive impact in this important aspect of their lives.

Best regards,Simon GrehanWebwise,PDST Technology in Education.Invent,Dublin City University,Dublin 9, Ireland.

20/11/2016Christmas Performances Well done to all our pupils who provided such great entertainment for the school community yesterday afternoon. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and members of the community who turned out in such great numbers to support the school. There are some photographs from yesterday in the Photo Gallery section of the website.

19/11/20166th Class Debating 6th Class welcomed their counterparts from St. Colman's N.S., Stradbally to the school last Friday to debate 6 motions. It was a fantastic exercise for the pupils as they got to experience public speaking and formal debating for the first time. They exceeded expectations on the day and the adjudacators commented on the exceptional abilty and confidence on display. Well done to them all. Congratualtions also to Katie Brennan who was given the award of Best Speaker on the day. Thank you also to our adjudacators Sean Dempsey and Cllr Padraig Fleming. Finally, thank you to Ms. Roisín Brennan and 6th Class from St. Colman's N.S.

15/11/2016Well done Katie-MayCongratulations to our Senior Infant pupil Katie-May Thompson who travelled to Dublin yesterday to receive her prize for the Macra na Feirme Farm Safety Art Competition. It was a super achievment for Katie-May and we're assured she had a great day yesterday!

15/11/2016Christmas PerformanceAs stated in the last newsletter, each class will perform song songs, poems etc. on Tuesday next, Dec 20th to celebrate Christmas. The performances will commence at 12:30pm in the school hall. Parents and guests are welcome to attend.

24/11/2016School Calendar 2017Here is a sneak preview at some of the lovely photos on our 2017 school calendar. Thank you once more to Kathleen Crosby for putting it all together. Please contact the office ASAP to place your order and avoid disappointment.

22/11/2016NPC Survey - Rural Schools The National Parents Council Primary has been asked to address the Joint Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on staffing and pupil ratios, facilities and transport in Rural and Island schools.We have therefore compiled a short survey to find out more from parents of children who attend rural and island schools.

17/11/2016Anti-Bulling WeekPlease visit the 6th Class page and take a moment to read through some of the poems written by the pupils which highlight the impact bullying can have on people.

15/11/2016NPC Survey - School Uniforms The Department of Education and Skills is developing a directive to schools regarding school uniform policy and other associated costs.As part of a consultation process, the Department has given the National Parents Council Primary the opportunity to give its observations, comments and suggestions on this issue.In order to provide observations they are surveying parents to get your views on school uniforms and other associated costs. Click this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolUniformCosts to take part in this short survey.The survey will close on the evening of Wednesday the 23rd of November 2016.

08/11/2016School Closure - Thursday November 10th Reminder to parents that the school will close this coming Thursday November 10th to allow for teacher in-service on the new Primary Language Curriculum.

08/11/2016Special Education Conference for ParentsNational Parents Council Primary are holding their Special Education Conference for parents of children with special educational needs on Saturday the 12th of November 2016 in the Ashling Hotel, Dublin (near Heuston Station) from 10.30am to 4pm. This notice has been sent to all Special School members and those members who are listed as parents of children with Special Education needs in mainstream schools.All parents who are interested are welcome to attend (members and non members). Admission is Free.Please see the attached invitation for further information.To book a place at this conference please click this link: http://npc.ie/register_special_education_conference_2016.aspx

Michelle DavernNPC

03/11/2016Halloween WalkLast Friday's Halloween Walk was once again a great success. The costumes on display were magnificent, and the children, parents and teachers really got into the spirit of the day. Thank you to the Parents' Council for organising the sponsorship cards and treats for the children. Thank you also to the parents and wider community for your continued support of our fundraising efforts. There are pictures of the day in the Photo Gallery section of the website.

26/10/2016Girls Football FinalHard luck to our Girls Football team who lost their final yesterday. The girls have been brilliant throughout the campaign and they've represented our school with great honour. Thank you to Ms Walsh for all the time she has freely given in preparing the team. There's a set of photographs from the final in our Photo Gallery section.

10/10/2016GOAL Jersey Day Once again, the school will take part in GOAL’s annual Jersey Day this coming Friday, October 14th. This year, the focus is on Gambella in Ethiopia, where GOAL has been working with South Sudanese refugees since 2013. GOAL is leading a lifesaving nutrition programme in refugee camps where malnutrition levels are high, particularly among children. Each child is asked to bring in €2 or whatever you deem appropriate. The children are invited to don their favourite jersey/tracksuit/hoodie for the fun event.

05/10/2016Parents' Council MeetingA meeting of the Parents' Council will take place on Monday next, October 10th at 8:30pm in the school.

26/09/2016Early Closure - Wednesday September 28thReminder to parents that the school will close at 12:15pm this coming Wednesday September 28th to allow the staff attend in-service on the new religious education programme, Grow in Love. Buses will run as normal at 12:15pm.

20/09/2016Athy Lions Club CycleOur school will once again participate in the Athy Lions Club Cycle Rally on October 2nd. Sponsorship cards will be handed out to the children today. 90% of funds raised goes directly to the school.

20/09/2016Parents' Council The AGM of the Parents' Council took place in the school last night. Please visit our Parents tab to view details of officers elected for the year ahead. Thank you once more to outgoing Chairperson Kathleen Crosby for her wonderful contribution over the years.

16/09/2016All Ireland Football Final TicketsCongratulations to the Joyce family on winning the two All Ireland Final tickets in our draw yesterday. Thank you to all those who bought and sold tickets, it was a tremendous success, raising €1180. This money will go towards the cost of buses to school events throughout the year.

15/09/2016St. Abban's Cross Country Well done to all our runners who competed so well at the St. Abban's Cross Country yesterday. We enjoyed great success across the board and there were some superb individual and team performances. Everyone had great fun and we'd like to thank St. Abban's A.C. for organising the event. There are some photographs in the Photo Gallery section of the website.

13/09/2016Parents Council AGM The AGM of the Parents Council will take place on Monday September 19th at 8:30pm in the school. All parents are most welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you.

12/09/2016Win two tickets to the All Ireland Football Final this coming Sunday!We have two tickets to raffle. Raffle tickets cost €2 each and the draw will take place in the school on Thursday afternoon. Best of luck!

06/09/2016Please click on the link below to download our September newsletter.

29/08/2016Our school reopens on Wednesday August 31st at 9:20 am. We especially look forward to greeting our new Infants. Reminder to parents of Junior Infants that their school day is from 9:30am to 12pm for the first week and a half.